Just got a call from a guy there. I bought 7 lottery tickets for a veterans only hunt, and drew one !!!!
Finaly gonna hunt my residend state for an elk !
Now to figure out what rifle to take. Thinking my custom 280ai stoked with 140 gr. ttsx's.
Man, am I happy !
Congrats on the draw...I would rather eat a good Cow than a nasty old toothless Bull any day.
Jayco
Congrats Mark! 280AI I figured you would take some super 26" barreled 300 monster magnum.
Good luck!
Woo Hoo!
Make some freezer space, that's for sure. Congrats on finally getting to hunt elk closer to home!
Congrats, my friend! Take the Barrett!
That is quite an accomplisment just to draw any elk tag there.What a beautifle area.Good for you and good luck
well, no loudemboomineargeshplitinkickincanon for this hunt.
i have a custom made 280ai, i already killed 1 cow elk with, and have it for hunts like this.
now, if i could only get my stock back from sitka deer, or hopefully get another made to finaly get it finished, it'll be a fitting rifle for this hunt.
no cinch, i ain't luggin it around the mountains. if i could set up on a mountain top for distant shooting,,, maybe.
thanks for all the kind words all.
I was going to suggest the .257 Roberts.............
well, maybe.
mine does shoot 80 gr. ttsx's over 3400 fps ! and is extemely accurate.
been looking on youtube, and the valle caldera is a neat place.
BIG area's of open grass land.
and
LOTS of elk !!
Congrats, I have been on the bow, muzzleloader and a cow hunt,(as a guest) the cow hunt was by far the toughest one but it is an awesome place. Good luck and enjoy.
Congrat's Splatt! Lookin' forward to tagging along and helping you get that fat cow out of there!
here we go again buddy !
nother hunting trip together....
Congrats, Guy! You will enjoy it!
looks like my new stock for my custom 280ai will be finished or at least up n runnin by then !
rethinking my choice.
maybe my ole favorite 300 rum should go ?
I vote 7X57!
Hmmm ?
Nope. Much as I like mine, the 280ai, was built for hunts like this. Might never draw again. So, a special rifle, for a special hunt.
I understand, but that 7X57 of yours is a pretty classy rig.
Oh, and you have already killed elk with your 280AI!
Congrats Mark....should be a fun hunt!
If you draw unit 2b again, I have a better spot in mind. Been seeing lots of deer lately.
Mark, it couldn't of happened to a nicer guy. Congrats!
Congrats!!! It is spectacular country, my wife and I were there last weekend.Lots of great opportunities to get around on the place in advance of your hunt too.The grass is really low this year what with our lack of moisture. Good Luck on your hunt!
thanks.
wife and i wanna go fly fishing there soon.
i can kill 2 birds with one stone, fishing, and finding out where to set up my 5th wheel.
heard there is a camp ground or ? just down the road.
it shouldn't take me more than 2.5 hours to get there from here, depending which way i take.
thinking going down to san yasidro (sp?) turning left and getting on 4 should be the easiest.
i know turning outta cuba, i got a hard pull getting up over the mountain.
Splatter,
A good chunk of the road in from Cuba to Fenton Lake is dirt. Or it was as late as last November when I was wood cutting up there. If your coming down from the Farmington area with a big trailer San Ysidro is your best bet. There are 3 forest service camp grounds between Jemez Springs and the Valle. To my knowledge none have hookups with the possible exception of the Jemez Falls campground. If you like boondocking it there are plenty of forest service roads you can pull off on and camp. Probably the closest is called the Dome Road. I can't remember the road number off the top of my head but it runs from a few miles east of the Valle off st rd 4 all the way to cochiti lake. The first two miles are in Bandelier national monument and are closed to camping. After that there are 5-6 miles of easy fifth wheel road before it starts down the mountain and gets hairy.
Depending on how they allow you to access the caldera there is a road that starts on hwy 126 about halfway between La Cueva and Fenton Lake that runs north south along the western boudary of the Valle. The first few miles are fifth wheel friendly.
If you need road numbers let me know and I'll look them up for you. I drag a 28ft 5er all over the Jemez.
Sean
thanks for the info.
i have a 36 footer. pm sent.
thanks sean
The times I have been the only gates they let you in are the main gate and I believe it is FR 105. (also off SR 4). If you are going on one of the cow hunts the campgrounds might be closed by then ( they were closed on the cow hunt I went on ). There is plenty of places to park in Graduation Flats off of the Dome Road if so.
my hunt is november 5,6, and 7th.
planned on going down the 3rd, and setting up the camper. have to go to orientation the morning of the 4th, then get loose to scout my appointed hunt area, then calling it a day, and get ready for the morning hunt.
I am sure the campgrounds will be closed by then, the latest I have seen them open was mid October. Start praying for unit 13.(grin)
Digs is correct.. Dome road or just past it on the right before you start going down the mountain into Los Alamos there is a great place. The locals call it American Springs. It's where my buddy and i set up camp for Muzzloader Mule deer last year. Nice camp and very close to paved road. Also, that area before Fenton is still not paved, I was up there 2 weeks ago. If you feel frisky you can also try climbing up on Cat Mesa to really get away!
Congrats on the tag! Lets hope we all get so lucky on Wednesday!
holding my breath for a deer tag !
good luck to us all.